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    Psyche
    Psyche
    Psyche
    Ebook120 pages1 hour

    Psyche

    By Molière and Charles Heron Wall

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    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArchive Classics
    Release dateNov 15, 2013
    Psyche
    Author

    Molière

    Molière was a French playwright, actor, and poet. Widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and universal literature, his extant works include comedies, farces, tragicomedies, comédie-ballets, and more.

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      Book preview

      Psyche - Molière

      The Project Gutenberg eBook of Psyche, by Molière, Translated by Charles Heron Wall

      This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with

      almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or

      re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included

      with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

      Title: Psyche

      Author: Molière

      Release Date: April 30, 2003 [eBook #7444]

      Most recently updated: January 9, 2009

      Language: English

      Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1

      ***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PSYCHE***

      E-text prepared by Charles Franks, Delphine Lettau,

      and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team

      (http://www.pgdp.net)

      PSYCHE.

      BY

      MOLIÈRE

      TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH PROSE.

      WITH A SHORT INTRODUCTION AND EXPLANATORY NOTES.

      BY

      CHARLES HERON WALL

      'Psyche' is a tragédie-ballet. Molière had sketched the plan, written the prologue, the first act, and the first scenes of the second and third acts, when the King asked him to have the play finished before Lent. Pierre Corneille, then sixty years old, helped him, and wrote the other scenes in a fortnight. Quinault wrote the words of the songs.

      Molière acted the part of Zephyr.

      PERSONS REPRESENTED.

      Jupiter.

      Venus.

      Love.

      Zephyr.

      Aegiale and Phaëne, two Graces.

      The King.

      Psyche.

      Aglaura.

      Cidippe.

      Cleomenes and Agenor, two princes, Psyche's lovers.

      Lycas, captain of the guards.

      A River God

      Two Cupids.

      PROLOGUE.

      The front of the stage represents a rustic spot, while at the back the sea can be seen in the distance.

      SCENE I.

      Flora. appears in the centre of the stage, attended by Vertumnus, god of trees and fruit, and by Palemon, god of the streams. Each of these gods conducts a troup of divinities; one leads in his train Dryads and Sylvans, and the other River Gods and Naiads.

      Flora sings the following lines, to invite Venus to descend upon earth:—

      Flora.

      The din of battle is stayed;

         The mightiest king of earth

      His arms aside has laid;

         Of peace 'tis now the birth!

      Descend thou, lovely Venus,

      And blissful hours grant us!

      Vertumnus and Palemon, and the divinities who attend them, join their voices to that of Flora, and sing the following words.—

      Chorus of Divinities of the earth and streams, composed of Flora, Nymphs, Palemon, Vertumnus, Sylvans, Fauns, Dryads, and Naiads.

      A peace profound we now enjoy,

      And games and bliss without alloy;

      Earth's mightiest king has giv'n us rest;

      To him be praise and thanks addrest.

         Descend thou, lovely Venus,

         And happy hours grant us!

      Then is formed an entry of the ballet, composed of two Dryads, four Sylvans, two River Gods, and two Naiads, after which Vertumnus and Palemon sing the following dialogue:—

      Vertumnus.

      Yield, yield, ye beauties stern,

      To sigh 'tis now your turn!

      Palemon.

      See you, the queen above,

      She comes to breathe soft love!

      Vertumnus.

      A fair one stern for aye

      Ne'er wins a faithful sigh!

      Palemon.

      To woo has beauty arms,

      But gentleness has greater charms.

      Both (together).

      To woo has beauty arms;

      But gentleness has greater charms.

      Vertumnus.

      Seek not your hearts to shield;

      To pine is law, and ye must yield.

      Palemon.

      Is aught more worthless born

      Than hearts that love will scorn?

      Vertumnus.

      A fair one stern, for aye

      Ne'er wins a faithful sigh!

      Palemon.

      To woo has beauty arms,

      But gentleness has greater charms.

      Both (together).

      To woo has beauty arms,

      But gentleness has greater charms.

      Flora answers the dialogue of Vertumnus. and Palemon. by the following minuet, and the other divinities join their dances to the song.

      Does wisdom say,

      In youth's heyday,

         Sweet love forego?

      Be up, in haste

      These pleasures taste

         Of earth below.

      Youth's wisdom too

      Is love to woo,

      And love to know.

      If love disarms,

      It is by charms;

      So yield your arms.

      'Twere madness 'gainst his darts

      To seek to shield your hearts.

      Whate'er the bond

      Of lover fond,

      'Tis sweeter chain

      Than freedom's gain.

      Venus descends from heaven, attended by Cupid, her son, and two Graces, called Aegiale and Phaëne; and the divinities of the earth and the streams once more unite their songs, and continue by their dances to show their joy at her approach.

      Chorus of all the Divinities of the earth and the streams.

      A peace profound we now enjoy,

      And games and bliss without alloy;

      Earth's mightiest king has giv'n us rest;

      To him be praise and thanks addrest.

      Descend thou, lovely Venus,

      And happy hours grant us.

      Ven. (in her chariot). Cease, cease, all your songs of joy. Such rare honours do not belong to me, and the homage which in your consideration you now pay me ought to be reserved for lovelier charms. To pay your court to me is a custom indeed too old; everything has its turn, and Venus is no longer the fashion. There are rising charms to which now all carry their incense. Psyche, the beauteous Psyche, to-day has taken my place. Already now the whole world hastens to worship her, and it is too great a boon that, in the midst of my disgrace, I still find some one who stoops to honour me. Our deserts are not even fairly weighed together, but all are ready to abandon me; while of the numerous train of privileged graces, whose care and friendship followed me everywhere, I have now only two of the smaller ones who cling to me out of mere pity. I pray you, let these dark abodes lend their solitude to the anguish of my heart, and suffer me to hide my shame and grief in the midst of their gloom.

      Flora and the other deities withdraw; and Venus with her retinue descends from her chariot.

      SCENE II.——VENUS, CUPID, AEGIALE, PHAËNE, CUPID

      Aegi. We know not what to do, goddess; while we see you overwhelmed by this grief, our respect bids us be silent, our zeal would have us speak.

      Ven. Speak;

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